BLOG
Autologous, simply put, means "one's own tissue or cells." When the term "autologous" is used in stem cell therapy, it refers to a treatment that uses stem cells taken from the patient themselves.
This means that in a stem cell transplantation or treatment process, the source of the stem cells is the patient’s own body. The cells are taken from a part of the body (typically bone marrow, peripheral blood, or adipose tissue), processed or stored in the laboratory, and then reintroduced into the same individual.
Autologous stem cell transplantation plays a critical role, especially in patients who need high-dose chemotherapy or radiation therapy. High-dose treatments destroy cancer cells but unfortunately also damage healthy bone marrow.
In such cases, the patient’s healthy stem cells are collected before the high-dose treatment, frozen, and stored. After the treatment is completed, these healthy stem cells, which were previously collected, are reintroduced to the patient to repair the damaged bone marrow and restart blood cell production.
Key conditions where autologous transplantation is used include:
Multiple Myeloma (Bone marrow cancer)
Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Some Solid Organ Cancers (e.g., certain breast or reproductive organ cancers)
Apart from bone marrow transplants, autologous stem cell applications can also be used in dermatology (skin rejuvenation, acne scar treatment) or orthopedics (cartilage damage, joint arthritis). In these cases, the patient’s own cells (taken from adipose tissue or skin) are used.
In stem cell therapies, there is the autologous option (using one’s own cells) and the allogeneic option. The fundamental difference between them lies in the source of the cells:
| Feature | Autologous Stem Cell Therapy | Allogeneic Stem Cell Therapy |
|---|---|---|
| Stem Cell Source | The patient’s own cells | Cells from a healthy donor |
| Donor | The patient themselves | A relative (sibling, parent) or unrelated donor |
| Risk of Rejection | Very Low. Since the cells are from the patient’s own body, there is almost no risk of allergic reactions or rejection. | Higher. There is a risk of "Graft-versus-Host Disease" (GVHD) because the cells are foreign to the recipient’s body. |
The greatest advantage of autologous therapy is the use of the patient’s own cells. This minimizes the issue of tissue compatibility and significantly lowers the chance of cell rejection by the body.
This significantly reduces the risk of Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD), a condition seen in allogeneic transplants where the transplanted cells attack the recipient’s body. As a result, autologous transplantation becomes a safer and better-tolerated option compared to allogeneic transplantation.
Autologous stem cell therapy is an important method in modern medicine that uses the patient's own healing power, providing a faster recovery after treatment and protection against the effects of high-dose treatments.
